The Grenada gazette., 1887-10-29
HOW TO RUN A RAILROAD.
What DisgruntIed Editor Over!iearf- In .
Railway Presidents Office.


! ters OF one Of our prominent railroads
the other day and wandered around
for some time. Among other things
] noticed was a large sign reading:
Editors don't pass here" 1t brought
to mind the fierce and withering intlu-
ences of the Interstate Commerce
Jaw. and / stopped and wept silently.
While thus giving way to my grief
heard earnest conversation in the Office
and looked in the door. The presi-
dent of the road was converslng With
one of the superintendenis
"Let me see," said the president;
"you took enough timber out of the
Roaring creek bridge and those two
culverts to rebuild that bridge where
the train dropped through last woek"
70, yes, and had a lot left replied
the superintendent.
"Just have what was left sent up to
my house-itll come in handy next
winter for kindling-wood. BY the
way, you had better tighten up all the
bridges little-they were built alto
gether to heavy at first
Im doing so--I don't put any
thing heavier than two-by-fours in any
of the new bridges l have new
scheme for heavy timbers on large
bridges"
"What's that9'
II take four inch boards and nail
them together, making what appears
to be a timber six-by-six or larger, ac-
cordng to the width of the boards.
Hollow-great saving Of timber. you
see!''
"Y-a-e-s, that so, replied the pres
ident as he put his feet up on the
waste basket; ''but inch boards, you
say, inch boards about half
inch?h
"They would probably be better
you've managed railroads longer than
l have
''And you nail 'em together, con.
tinued the president, as he appeared to
be lost in thought. You know nails
are expensive"
'Yes; we might glue 'em at the cor
nersn
That's more like tor seems to me
if they were put up together that they
would be apt to stay-might sort OF
wedge en- little at the ends some
how. Mebby you better use glue, how
ever-the public likes TO see things
good and strong.'
yes; we got to cater to the public
a little.
of course Don't want EN- TO get
into the habit of walking. By the way.
they seem to be getting struck on iron
Bridges
"Ycs, I've noticed it,
"Well. any thing to please EN-"
said the obIiging president. Il told
our chief engineer to bring in a plan
for bridge intended specially for the
public to stand and look at and lose it.
self in admiration. 1t is to be of heavy
sheet iron, but fear the style will be
altogether too expensive,
80 yes, it would-got to think Of
something cheaper than that.
Il have little plan here of a bridge
which | made myself continued the
president as he drew paper out Of a
private desk. You will observe that
it is made wholly of tin, hulluw lin
tubes, painted a vigorous and power
ful black
That's good,' said the superintend.
ent, beginning to get enthusiastic,
chats lrst-rate. Still little costly
though. tell you the ideal railroad
bridge must he made out Of paper
very cheap, and when properly paint-
ed has n regular earthquake-defying
look
You're right there, papers the
thing and I'd have introduced bridges
of it on our line long ago if it wasn't
for their liability to all soak up and
collapse every time it rains"
They'd have TO be vanished to pre-
vent that, and there comes the matter
of expense again"
Yes, that S the way it goes, expense
at every turn. ! tell you. tho truly
ideal way to run railroad, if it could
be arranged continued the president.
as he Strengthened up, "would be to
have the locomotive when it comes to
a river or ravine get up on its hind
wheels and jump it and jerk the train
right along, Yes, sir, and l believe
the time is coming when they will do
it, too--run like thunder before they
come to place where we now have a
bridge, and when they get there they
will r ar right up aud snort couple
of times and clear the thing at ono
jump and jerk thirteen coaches behind
EN-! tell you there would be little
money for the Stockholders and presi-
dents and Observation-Disclosures with
no bridges TO build at allv'
"That would be big thing, sure
enough replied the superintendent.
The railroad man would have little